Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development

Serri (Sura) Mahmood

Research & Policy Fellow

 

Ms. Serri (Sura) Mahmood holds a MA in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute Geneva 2019 and a MA in Humanitarian Action from the University of Geneva 2017. She also holds a B.Sc in Statistics, University of Baghdad 2011. Ms. Mahmood has been active in Human Rights, Policymaking, and Advocacy since 2010. She is the winner of the Swiss Humanitarian Award of 2017. 

Currently, Ms. Mahmood is a research fellow on Religion and Development studies at Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin. She is also a board member at Baghdad Women Association (BWA), a local NGO based in Baghdad with six support centers throughout Iraq, including areas liberated from ISIS. BWA's mission is to combat gender-based violence, empower women, and enhance women's participation in peace and security.

 

Publications:

 

Author: 

  • Current: Ethno-Religious women in Security and Political Participation in Iraq (UNR1325), 2021.
  • Is Military Liberation from Daesh Enough to Return? A Case Study of Christians' Non-Return to the Ninawa Plain in Iraq, 2021.
  • Vulnerabilities of the Iraqi Male Child Recruited by ISIS, 2019.
  • Challenges of Children Born by ISIS Rape, 2017.

 

Co-author:

  • Pope Francis' Historic Visit to Iraq: Its Significance for the Christian Minority, Religious Diversity, and Reconstruction, 2021. 
  • Influences Over a Reduction in the Use of Imprisonment as a Criminal Justice Response, 2018.
  • The Outline Paper of Vienna 25+ Declaration of Human Rights, 2018." 

 

Professional Experience: 

  • 2020- now: Research & Policy Fellow, Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development, Berlin.
  • 2021 External Collaborator, Equality and Non-Discrimination in Employment, UN international Labor Organization Regional Office in Beirut.
  • 2020-2021 Board Member, Baghdad Women Association, Baghdad.
  • 2020-2021 Independent Expert, Women Decent Work Condition in Iraq, UN Women, Baghdad.
  • 2020 Capacity Building Consultant, UN Human Rights, Geneva. 
  • 2015- 2019 Board Member & Policy Maker, Baghdad Women Association, Baghdad.
  • 2017-2019 Master's in International Affairs, Graduate Institute of Geneva, Geneva.
  • 2016-2017 Master’s in Humanitarian Action, University of Geneva, Geneva.
  • 2015-2016 Researcher, Kobe University, Kobe.
  • 2012-2015 Cooperation Officer, Embassy of Japan, Baghdad.
  • 2011-2012 Projects Coordinator, Baghdad Women Association, Baghdad.
  • 2007-2011 B.Sc. in Statistics, University of Baghdad, Baghdad.